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The Wolfsangel Cycle #4
Valkyrie's Song
M.D. Lachlan's brooding and powerful tales of Vikings, Norse gods and werewolves have already won praise from, amongst others, Joe Abercrombie, Adam Roberts, Mike Carey and Chris Wooding.
With an original and terrifying take on magic, an ability to bring the Norse gods to vivid life on the page, a keen historical eye and a knack for fast-moving and brutally effective plots, M.D. Lachlan's series has won over critics, fellow authors and readers alike.
VALKYRIE'S SONG moves the action to Norman England and the Harrowing of the North. An immortal wolf and an immortal woman are on the run, fighting for their lives. They carry a magic within them, runes which flare with power when brought together. But others hold runes of their own, and the runes desire to be united.
And when they are, Ragnarok will come.
With an original and terrifying take on magic, an ability to bring the Norse gods to vivid life on the page, a keen historical eye and a knack for fast-moving and brutally effective plots, M.D. Lachlan's series has won over critics, fellow authors and readers alike.
VALKYRIE'S SONG moves the action to Norman England and the Harrowing of the North. An immortal wolf and an immortal woman are on the run, fighting for their lives. They carry a magic within them, runes which flare with power when brought together. But others hold runes of their own, and the runes desire to be united.
And when they are, Ragnarok will come.
352 pages, Paperback
First published April 16, 2015
About the author
M.D. Lachlan
11 books158 followersAka Mark Barrowcliffe.
MD Lachlan is a pen name - created after Mark Barrowcliffe, author of works such as Girlfriend 44 and Lucky Dog, felt himself irresistibly drawn back to fantasy after writing his Dungeons and Dragons memoir The Elfish Gene.
The Wolfsangel series draws on Norse Mythology to tell the story of a werewolf trapped in the schemes of the Gods, doomed to be reborn endlessly.
Mark also writes fantasy under the name Mark Alder - his Banners of Blood series is set in an alternate 100 Years War where angels and devils stalk the earth!
Series:
* Craw Trilogy
MD Lachlan is a pen name - created after Mark Barrowcliffe, author of works such as Girlfriend 44 and Lucky Dog, felt himself irresistibly drawn back to fantasy after writing his Dungeons and Dragons memoir The Elfish Gene.
The Wolfsangel series draws on Norse Mythology to tell the story of a werewolf trapped in the schemes of the Gods, doomed to be reborn endlessly.
Mark also writes fantasy under the name Mark Alder - his Banners of Blood series is set in an alternate 100 Years War where angels and devils stalk the earth!
Series:
* Craw Trilogy
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 8, 2015
Valkyrie's Song by M.D. Lachlan is another wonderful addition to The Wolfsangel Cycle series. But at the same time, if it was possible to read Wolfsangel,Fenrir and Lord of Slaughter without knowing anything about the previous books, then for understanding this book you should at leas have read the Lord of Slaughter.
Besides this, it is another wonderfully book that is full on surprising history, confusing nightmare like scenes in caves, love triangles, meddling gods and grisly deaths.
I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book.
Besides this, it is another wonderfully book that is full on surprising history, confusing nightmare like scenes in caves, love triangles, meddling gods and grisly deaths.
I absolutely enjoyed every page of this book.
December 18, 2020
M.D. Lachlan changed his tone with the fourth instalment of the Wolfsangel cycle; although once again he's delivered a dark and mysterious tale involving gods, man and wolves. And for the first time in the series, there are recurring characters! Unlike the others, you probably couldn't read this one individually, however this isn't particularly detrimental.
Spoilers of Lord of Slaughter in the following paragraph.
The story has a parallel narrative, following multiple characters as they are drawn to one another. Each one a piece of the mythological puzzle which is continuing broken since the death of Odin in the previous book. We follow the now immortal Loys and Styliane, as the former searches for a way to end his curse as the Fenris wolf (and his own extended life), whilst the latter looks for the opposite - to continue her prolonged existence.
We also follow Tola, a familiar yet unknown character, as she escapes the destruction of her village from the Norman invasion. She finds herself dragged over the frozen hills of northern England, trying to survive. She finds her way into the hands of Styliane, who has discovered she is carrying the rune which calls to the wolf. Loys has also found his way to England as part of the invasion, summoned by the rune, to find a way to end his life. The story continues as the holders of Odin's magical runes battle against each other and their destinies - to either achieve eternal life or to end it.
As opposed to the original trilogy which was historical fiction turned fantasy, this is firmly grounded in fantasy. The mythology felt more prevalent, and was explored at a much deeper level than in the previous novels. This worked well, and with the inclusion of more deities it added a huge amount of intrigue and mystery to the novel.
The overall tone of the book is pretty bleak, and like the others it's not a story for someone who wants a jolly romp through Norse mythology. It's gritty and dark (though thankfully with less baby sacrifice), and really drives home the grim prospect of survival in a desolate and unforgiving country. I think [Lachlan|3085265] really shines in this area, and I personally love feeling the struggle of the characters that you get in dark fantasy.
Talking of characters, I think they are particularly noteworthy in this instalment. Once again he has delivered seemingly simple characters, which have remarkable depth and unique personalities. You have Loys' eternal struggle between man and beast, a boy deemed too cowardly for his warrior race, an estranged aristocrat striving for the divine and a simple farm girl, all ultimately battling everyone's greatest fear: death. You really feel for the characters, and although many are working towards conflicting goals, you often find yourself rooting for them all to succeed.
Overall, although there is a slight shift in focus in this novel than the others, I think it's a wonderful addition to the saga. You get to revisit characters you've grown to know from before, in a vastly different setting. Once again, it's not a book for the faint-hearted, however if you're looking for a book that's fast-paced and unique, with some action and death strewn throughout, this is a great book for you.
Spoilers of Lord of Slaughter in the following paragraph.
The story has a parallel narrative, following multiple characters as they are drawn to one another. Each one a piece of the mythological puzzle which is continuing broken since the death of Odin in the previous book. We follow the now immortal Loys and Styliane, as the former searches for a way to end his curse as the Fenris wolf (and his own extended life), whilst the latter looks for the opposite - to continue her prolonged existence.
We also follow Tola, a familiar yet unknown character, as she escapes the destruction of her village from the Norman invasion. She finds herself dragged over the frozen hills of northern England, trying to survive. She finds her way into the hands of Styliane, who has discovered she is carrying the rune which calls to the wolf. Loys has also found his way to England as part of the invasion, summoned by the rune, to find a way to end his life. The story continues as the holders of Odin's magical runes battle against each other and their destinies - to either achieve eternal life or to end it.
As opposed to the original trilogy which was historical fiction turned fantasy, this is firmly grounded in fantasy. The mythology felt more prevalent, and was explored at a much deeper level than in the previous novels. This worked well, and with the inclusion of more deities it added a huge amount of intrigue and mystery to the novel.
The overall tone of the book is pretty bleak, and like the others it's not a story for someone who wants a jolly romp through Norse mythology. It's gritty and dark (though thankfully with less baby sacrifice), and really drives home the grim prospect of survival in a desolate and unforgiving country. I think [Lachlan|3085265] really shines in this area, and I personally love feeling the struggle of the characters that you get in dark fantasy.
Talking of characters, I think they are particularly noteworthy in this instalment. Once again he has delivered seemingly simple characters, which have remarkable depth and unique personalities. You have Loys' eternal struggle between man and beast, a boy deemed too cowardly for his warrior race, an estranged aristocrat striving for the divine and a simple farm girl, all ultimately battling everyone's greatest fear: death. You really feel for the characters, and although many are working towards conflicting goals, you often find yourself rooting for them all to succeed.
Overall, although there is a slight shift in focus in this novel than the others, I think it's a wonderful addition to the saga. You get to revisit characters you've grown to know from before, in a vastly different setting. Once again, it's not a book for the faint-hearted, however if you're looking for a book that's fast-paced and unique, with some action and death strewn throughout, this is a great book for you.
January 22, 2018
Come sempre, anche in questo quarto volume del ciclo di Wolfsangel l'autore ci stupisce.
Ci aveva stupito con la storia del primo, ci aveva stupito con il rimescolamento di carte nel secondo, ci aveva colti alla sprovvista nel terzo con lupi e dee.
Qui si diverte ancora a sorprenderci: la storia si svolge nell'undicesimo secolo, un secolo (più o meno) dopo le vicende del terzo volume.
Ma Styliane e Loys rimangono.
Styliane con le rune dentro di sé, catturate al pozzo alla fine del libro precedente.
Loys intrappolato nella storia, ma senza essere uno degli attori originali. Legato alla moglie Beatrice (Aelis, Norna) e alla reincarnazione del Lupo, è diventato lui stesso il Lupo liberando Fenrir.
Ma scopriamo che la storia non era finita, il patto di Odino andava ancora rispettato, le rune continuano a comparire sulla Terra, così come la reincarnazione di Beatrice.
Odino è morto, ma attende di venire liberato, di combattere il lupo, ucciderlo mentre la sua amata lo uccide e viene da lui uccisa. Tornare a recitare il canovaccio.
Styliane, immortale e dotata di magia, ovviamente non vuole: il ritorno di Odino significherebbe la sua morte, quindi lotta contro il fato che cerca di riunire le rune, e fa in modo di tenerle separate. Vivendo al tempo stesso una vita immortale e ricca.
E Loys invece, fuggito dalla sua casa per via dell'immortalità, combattuto tra la sua natura umana e cristiana e il Lupo dentro di sé, cerca solo il modo di morire per sempre. Uscire dalla storia. Scombinare i piani di Odino e del Fato. Farsi uccidere dalla reincarnazione di Beatrice, nel punto giusto ma senza aver prima fatto tornare e morire Odino.
Infrangere il patto di Odino con le Norne.
Anche Loki, scopriamo, è cambiato.
Con Odino morto, lui stesso è sempre meno potente, un'ombra del Dio che era. Paradossalmente, avere ucciso il suo nemico gli ha tolto forze e scopo, e quindi ora cerca di farlo tornare.
Un libro collegato a tutti, certo, ma sopratutto al terzo di cui è il proseguio.
Un libro che gronda violenza e disperazione, ambientato nel nord dell'Inghilterra dell'undicesimo secolo, quando inglesi, normanni e vichinghi combattevano per il predominio. Il tempo di Guglielmo il conquistatore.
E infatti, a parte qualche excursus che ci mostra il recente passato dei due immortali, tutto si svolge nello Yorkshire del nord, tra villaggi devastati dai normanni, scontri tra eserciti, violenze e stragi. In mezzo a un freddo che ti entra nelle ossa e che quasi puoi avvertire nelle pagine, la visuale ridotta da una nebbia perenne e persistente che limita tutto ciò che vedi alle immediate vicinanze.
Uno scenario claustrofobico in cui tutti cercano disperatamente di sopravvivere, ancor prima che riuscire a raggiungere il loro obbiettivo ultimo.
Una storia che, proseguendo l'innalzamento di registro della precedente, ci mostra ancora più epica mitologica portandoci nel regno di Hel, mostrandoci le Valchirie, tirando in ballo Freya e perfino il grande eroe Ragnar.
L'epopea epica della lotta eterna tra il Lupo e Odino continua...
Ci aveva stupito con la storia del primo, ci aveva stupito con il rimescolamento di carte nel secondo, ci aveva colti alla sprovvista nel terzo con lupi e dee.
Qui si diverte ancora a sorprenderci: la storia si svolge nell'undicesimo secolo, un secolo (più o meno) dopo le vicende del terzo volume.
Ma Styliane e Loys rimangono.
Styliane con le rune dentro di sé, catturate al pozzo alla fine del libro precedente.
Loys intrappolato nella storia, ma senza essere uno degli attori originali. Legato alla moglie Beatrice (Aelis, Norna) e alla reincarnazione del Lupo, è diventato lui stesso il Lupo liberando Fenrir.
Ma scopriamo che la storia non era finita, il patto di Odino andava ancora rispettato, le rune continuano a comparire sulla Terra, così come la reincarnazione di Beatrice.
Odino è morto, ma attende di venire liberato, di combattere il lupo, ucciderlo mentre la sua amata lo uccide e viene da lui uccisa. Tornare a recitare il canovaccio.
Styliane, immortale e dotata di magia, ovviamente non vuole: il ritorno di Odino significherebbe la sua morte, quindi lotta contro il fato che cerca di riunire le rune, e fa in modo di tenerle separate. Vivendo al tempo stesso una vita immortale e ricca.
E Loys invece, fuggito dalla sua casa per via dell'immortalità, combattuto tra la sua natura umana e cristiana e il Lupo dentro di sé, cerca solo il modo di morire per sempre. Uscire dalla storia. Scombinare i piani di Odino e del Fato. Farsi uccidere dalla reincarnazione di Beatrice, nel punto giusto ma senza aver prima fatto tornare e morire Odino.
Infrangere il patto di Odino con le Norne.
Anche Loki, scopriamo, è cambiato.
Con Odino morto, lui stesso è sempre meno potente, un'ombra del Dio che era. Paradossalmente, avere ucciso il suo nemico gli ha tolto forze e scopo, e quindi ora cerca di farlo tornare.
Un libro collegato a tutti, certo, ma sopratutto al terzo di cui è il proseguio.
Un libro che gronda violenza e disperazione, ambientato nel nord dell'Inghilterra dell'undicesimo secolo, quando inglesi, normanni e vichinghi combattevano per il predominio. Il tempo di Guglielmo il conquistatore.
E infatti, a parte qualche excursus che ci mostra il recente passato dei due immortali, tutto si svolge nello Yorkshire del nord, tra villaggi devastati dai normanni, scontri tra eserciti, violenze e stragi. In mezzo a un freddo che ti entra nelle ossa e che quasi puoi avvertire nelle pagine, la visuale ridotta da una nebbia perenne e persistente che limita tutto ciò che vedi alle immediate vicinanze.
Uno scenario claustrofobico in cui tutti cercano disperatamente di sopravvivere, ancor prima che riuscire a raggiungere il loro obbiettivo ultimo.
Una storia che, proseguendo l'innalzamento di registro della precedente, ci mostra ancora più epica mitologica portandoci nel regno di Hel, mostrandoci le Valchirie, tirando in ballo Freya e perfino il grande eroe Ragnar.
L'epopea epica della lotta eterna tra il Lupo e Odino continua...
January 23, 2015
Wow. All I can say is, Lachlan has done it again. Magic, dark Gods and Goddesses lurking in the realms of the dead and the living, a story between two brothers, one a wolf, or in this case the wolf and the brothers are one and the same, and a girl. All pieces of the same mythological puzzle, they who are reborn again and again, careening and veering and clashing through times of historical significance and turmoil. This novel takes place during the time of William the Conqueror, when the Normans are invading England and leaving a bloody trail of murder and mayhem in their wake. My favorite character, ironically enough, in this installment is Gylfa, a young Norsemen with about as much Nordic bravery and boast as a three-legged field mouse, yet he was the most realic, and the most honest in his insecurities and selfish desires, only fending for himself and obsessing about his place of honor among his people as our primary characters play out the roles that have been assigned to them by the fates, the Norns, the spinners of destiny, a destiny which never seems to end. I would recommend reading Lord of Slaughter before reading this book, although if you are looking for a fantastic historical fantasy series based on Norse myth and magic, please read all the books, starting with my favorite, Wolfsangel.
Now that I am done gushing over the totally awesomeness of this book, let me be more specific. THis book has it all, a completely amazing and intriguing, not to mention historically accurate, setting that is portrayed as a work of fantasy and mystery, as well as characters that are both straight-forward and yet full of depth, wonderful prose, engrossing detail, and a multitude of action, adventure, and the chaotic repercussions that accompany a man's war between the animal and the human within himself, as well as the struggle between immortality and the yearning for death after too many lifetimes of horror and loss. I do hope this series will continue, for although I long for the Wolf's Death, these characters have become near and dear to my heart and I will always look forward to that moment when Odin rises again, only to be slain by the teeth of Fenrir.
Now that I am done gushing over the totally awesomeness of this book, let me be more specific. THis book has it all, a completely amazing and intriguing, not to mention historically accurate, setting that is portrayed as a work of fantasy and mystery, as well as characters that are both straight-forward and yet full of depth, wonderful prose, engrossing detail, and a multitude of action, adventure, and the chaotic repercussions that accompany a man's war between the animal and the human within himself, as well as the struggle between immortality and the yearning for death after too many lifetimes of horror and loss. I do hope this series will continue, for although I long for the Wolf's Death, these characters have become near and dear to my heart and I will always look forward to that moment when Odin rises again, only to be slain by the teeth of Fenrir.
April 28, 2016
A deliciously gorey, grim and gripping dark norse fantasy set in the bloodiest era of english history. The overall tone may be black but it makes the characters shine like stars and the danger sizzle with tension. Compared to the previous 3 books I would say this is my favourite due to the focus on the simple yet the savage cost of survival. Whether it is with or without the magic of runes. It is also a closer and more intimate maybe even sympathetic look at the character that is Wolf-Cursed. Yet the story also cunningly causes the Reader to will the fate of the gods to be fulfilled as I personally didnt want the true Villain (not the one you may think of during reading) to succeed for it would be worse for the wolf.
Certainly looking forward to seeing which historical turmoil this grim saga continues to unravel...
Certainly looking forward to seeing which historical turmoil this grim saga continues to unravel...
March 9, 2015
Dark, bizarre and intriguing, in a Nordic manner...This was a book I hardly was able to put down. I think it's even better than the first three of this series. I hope this is not to be the last book that M.D. Lachlan writes in this series. There wasn't much closure, so I'm hoping that he plans to write another.
September 15, 2017
First off, let me start by saying I am really enjoying this series. It's always good to read a new take on werewolves whilst keeping to the bloodthirsty monsters we know and love so well (none of this romantic werewolves and vampires rubbish!) and I do love the historical setting and the Norse mythology. However, I didn't enjoy this fourth book quite as much as the other three, hence my rating of 4 stars rather than 5, though I do think part of the problem is that I could really have done with rereading the first three and hopefully at some point I can revisit them all and enjoy Valkyrie Song more as a result. But as I struggle for reading time at the moment and don't own copies of any of the books myself, I was stuck trying to remember who some of the characters were from earlier in the series and where they were at after Lord of Slaughter. So I think that was the main problem when reading this one.
I do also have one little criticism which was another reason for knocking a star off this fourth book and it's something I don't particularly remember noticing with the first three - there seemed to be a lot of repetition of the word 'said' whenever there were several lines of dialogue between characters. This sort of thing probably bugs me more than most readers, having spent the last seven years or so working as a proofreader and looking for this kind of thing (i.e. repetition as well as the obvious spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors to correct) in what I'm proofreading, not to mention getting so far in my own writing career and being conscious of repetition in my own work. That's not to say I don't repeat words (or even phrases) as well and I think it's something we're not always aware of as the writer, but it's perhaps something M.D. Lachlan might want to bear in mind for future books (unless it's was changed during the editing process in which case I'd be having words with my editor if it was me!). I just think it's so easy to avoid using 'he said', 'she said', 'he said' line after line after line when there's always things like 'replied' or 'answered' that would work for the second character speaking, and then instance specific things like 'growled', 'questioned', 'shouted', etc. There's tons of options you can use in place of said, if there's a need to denote who's speaking at all, and it did detract from my enjoyment of the dialogue a bit when I was reading said repeatedly.
Overall though I enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to the fifth and final instalment when it comes out, and I would still highly recommend the series to anyone who loves werewolves and/or Vikings and Norse mythology. Plenty of action and gore to keep even the bloodthirstiest of werewolf fans entertained and lots of excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat!
I do also have one little criticism which was another reason for knocking a star off this fourth book and it's something I don't particularly remember noticing with the first three - there seemed to be a lot of repetition of the word 'said' whenever there were several lines of dialogue between characters. This sort of thing probably bugs me more than most readers, having spent the last seven years or so working as a proofreader and looking for this kind of thing (i.e. repetition as well as the obvious spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors to correct) in what I'm proofreading, not to mention getting so far in my own writing career and being conscious of repetition in my own work. That's not to say I don't repeat words (or even phrases) as well and I think it's something we're not always aware of as the writer, but it's perhaps something M.D. Lachlan might want to bear in mind for future books (unless it's was changed during the editing process in which case I'd be having words with my editor if it was me!). I just think it's so easy to avoid using 'he said', 'she said', 'he said' line after line after line when there's always things like 'replied' or 'answered' that would work for the second character speaking, and then instance specific things like 'growled', 'questioned', 'shouted', etc. There's tons of options you can use in place of said, if there's a need to denote who's speaking at all, and it did detract from my enjoyment of the dialogue a bit when I was reading said repeatedly.
Overall though I enjoyed the story and I am looking forward to the fifth and final instalment when it comes out, and I would still highly recommend the series to anyone who loves werewolves and/or Vikings and Norse mythology. Plenty of action and gore to keep even the bloodthirstiest of werewolf fans entertained and lots of excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat!
June 16, 2019
I actually liked this one better than some of the others in the series. These books are always a big wandering, with twists and turns, and you're never quite sure what's going on. I like that the author carried over characters from the last book. I just kind of wish that once the author would let the characters get their resolution, but when you're talking about a mythology where the wolf eats the sun bringing on eternal winter as the ultimate resolution of everything (so no happy ever afters), then really what can you expect, right?
November 30, 2017
Haunting, vivid, eerie and unusual. A stunning saga told in a very unique voice.
June 2, 2015
I was so excited to find out that this book took place in England in 1066. Finally entering the time period that I know a lot about! It was really cool to read about the Normans, the Englishmen, and the Vikings all in the same area, how everyone killed the Englishmen, and the Normans and Vikings killed each other, all vying for control over England. At times it got a little confusing, just trying to remember Normans were Frenchmen from Normandy, not the Northerners. But other than that the historical setting was fantastic.
This book, like all the others, added a little more Norse mythology to the mix. There were the Valkyries, as well as Hel. Even Jörmungandr (the serpent around Yggdrasil, the tree of life) was alluded to, though not by name, yet. It made the overall story more complex and I can't wait for the next installment!
The one odd thing about this book that bothered me a lot was the random mistakes. I don't know how they made it past the editor's desk. Someone wasn't doing their job.
full review at http://testybadger.blogspot.com/2015/...
This book, like all the others, added a little more Norse mythology to the mix. There were the Valkyries, as well as Hel. Even Jörmungandr (the serpent around Yggdrasil, the tree of life) was alluded to, though not by name, yet. It made the overall story more complex and I can't wait for the next installment!
The one odd thing about this book that bothered me a lot was the random mistakes. I don't know how they made it past the editor's desk. Someone wasn't doing their job.
full review at http://testybadger.blogspot.com/2015/...
July 9, 2015
I was a little unfair to this book in relation to the rest of the series in that I read it in isolation, whereas the others I read as a block. To that end, I'd forgotten a bunch of the stuff in the meantime (I'd apparently totally misremembered how book 3 had ended). A departure in that previously the books felt very like historical fiction where Fantasy/Supernatural elements crept in over time, this time around, the fantasy is fairly prominent from the outset. In historical terms, there is a very vivid account of the "Harrowing of the North" when the Norman conquerors apocalyptically ravaged the North of England. Being set later in history, the viking element isn't as pronounced this time around (& I think it suffers a little for that,maybe Normans just aren't as coolas their pagan ancestors). This is also the first time, human characters reoccur, which does serve as a recap to the past events that I'd forgotten which is a useful device. Doesn't quite compare to previous installments. Wolfsangel or Fenrir, which I think are 2 pillars of historical fantasy fiction but still an enthralling read that carries on the mythology of the series well.
November 8, 2016
Ah, the book which I've been waiting for but which disappointed. Sure, it was better than Lord of Slaughter, but after Valkyrie's Song I've lost all interest in the series.
December 18, 2015
Interesting mix of mythology, history and magic.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews